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Chapter 177: Joy (14)

Even Hye-Ri, who used to tell us to be on diet nonstop, advised us to pile on the calories and ramp up our physical routines given our grueling schedule. Hence, our days morphed into a rigorous grind of comeback preparations, punctuated by deep coma-like sleep. It was a cycle we soon found ourselves adapting to with surprising ease.

A silver lining in our hectic routine was our manager\'s keen eye for our wellbeing. He had a knack for spotting when any of us were hitting our limits, often sending us back to the dorm for some much-needed rest. Despite our protests and eagerness to push through more practice, he remained steadfast in his stance.

“…Should we wrap up for today?"

“Yeah, let\'s call it a day. I\'m dying," Jin-Sung agreed weakly, his body sagging against the wall, exhaustion evident in the shadows under his eyes.

The manager nodded and gently helped me to my feet as I collapsed next to Jin-Sung. His concerned gaze lingered on me a moment longer.

"I will drive you back to the dorm. But before that, there\'s something I need to discuss with all of you. Please, gather around,” the manager said, his tone serious yet gentle.

“What\'s up?"

“What is going on?"

Jin-Sung summoned the last bit of his energy to crawl over, and the rest of us stretched out our sore limbs and huddled around the manager. Joo-Han, who had been lost in thought in front of his laptop, looked up and frowned as he sensed the gravity of the moment.

“If this is about changing managers, I don’t agree to it," he stated, his voice deep with a serious undertone that made us all take notice. We exchanged anxious glances, and the air was suddenly heavy with unspoken concerns.

The manager just shot Joo-Han a bittersweet smile, acknowledging the bond they had formed over countless shared moments and conversations, perhaps more than any of us had with him.

“Su-Hwan hyung?" Goh Yoo-Joon picked up on the tense atmosphere, his voice laced with apprehension.

Joo-Han wasn\'t one to make such statements lightly, so his words hung in the air, heavy with implication.

The manager took a deep breath, steeling himself for what came next. “It’s been decided.”

“What? Out of nowhere?" Yoon-Chan\'s voice cracked, mirroring the shock that rippled through us.

“It\'s not sudden. I\'m telling you as soon as possible. The change will take place after we wrap up the second album and the inauguration ceremony.” The manager’s tone was apologetic yet firm, hinting at a decision that had been made with careful consideration.

This meant there would be a maximum of three months with him.

“The new manager will be Hyuk-Soo, who\'s been with us as a road manager.”

“But hyung, I wanted to keep working with you, you know?" Jin-Sung\'s voice was thick with disappointment, a sentiment we all shared.

Despite seeming stoic, our manager paid meticulous attention to our well-being and showed endless consideration to us. We had built a treasure trove of memories during our brief time together. He scolded us like a real brother on days we neglected our health for practice, but we knew his concern came from a place of care, so it never bothered us. Even Joo-Han, who often clashed with our previous manager, was inclined to accept and trust Su-Hwan.

However, Su-Hwan simply nodded with a flat expression, trying not to show any emotion. “Hyuk-Soo will look after you well. I\'ve made sure of it."

“...” Silence enveloped us. The news of his impending departure hit us harder than expected, even though we knew such changes were part of the industry.

“I know it\'s a busy time, but I thought it is better to tell you now rather than spring it on you later. We still have some time left, so let\'s make the most of it.”

“...” The room remained silent, our hearts heavy with the realization of what his departure meant.

“The move is planned around your schedule, and while it\'s a small gesture, I\'ve arranged for some flexibility with your phone use as a token of my appreciation…” The manager stopped speaking as he realized we weren’t hearing a word. It seemed like our second parting with a beloved manager was upon us, and it was a tough ordeal for the younger members.

“...Ha.” With a heavy sigh, the manager showed his distress as well. “Anyway, that\'s the situation. I\'d love to stay with you all longer, but as an employee, I must follow the company\'s orders. I\'m sorry."

“You have nothing to apologize for, hyung..." I spoke up for the silent members, and the manager nodded before continuing.

“I intended to tell you this later, but Joo-Han caught on first. Let me share the next update now. All of you will appear in the next shoot."

The next shoot was a mini sports day. Since our manager promised to create as many memories with us as possible within a month, the sports day must have been his idea. It seemed Chronos was set to perform a special show at the sports day.

“Hyun-Woo and Yoo-Joon will be in their uniforms. The rest of you will wear costumes for the shoot."

“Okay."

“And Hyun-Woo."

“Yes?"

The manager flipped another page in his notebook. “You\'ve been invited to appear on..."

“…What?"

“Only Hyun-Woo hyung?" Jin-Sung\'s puzzled question was followed by murmurs of confusion from the rest of us, including me. Was I really going to appear on a music show alone? However, my curiosity quickly turned to dismay.

“Kim Jin-Wook of YU Entertainment is going to debut soon, and I\'ve heard his first post-debut appearance will be for Halo’s Music Bus. They are keen on having him sing a live rendition of ‘Once Again.’"

‘Ah, that\'s right. Darn it.’

The memory of agreeing to the request of Kim Jin-Wook\'s manager flashed back. We indeed talked about it after we used YU Entertainment\'s practice space, and it looked like the formal invitation had come through our company channels.

“The show is lined up for after our comeback. Considering Halo’sMusic Bus is offering us a slot to spotlight Chronos\'s new track, it\'s an opportunity we should embrace."

“…Understood." Given my prior agreement and the enticing promotional opportunity, not to mention the chance to perform "Once Again" once more, I found myself nodding, fully persuaded by the proposition.

“That wraps up the updates for now. All of you have mastered the choreography and live vocals, so let\'s shift our focus to maintaining your peak condition. You might have guessed it, but we will put album promotion into your schedule moving forward."

“Yes!" Our spirited affirmation marked the end of the meeting, and we made our way out of the practice room. However, the looming farewell from our manager cast a shadow over the group, especially Joo-Han, whose mood had notably darkened.

***

JAAAAAAAR!!!

The alarm\'s maddening voice tore through the silence. Hearing this, I burrowed deeper into my cocoon of blankets with practiced ease while Goh Yoo-Joon, the early bird, silenced the clamorous device.

“Time to rise and shine."

“…Ugh!" I anticipated the usual jolt, but today Yoo-Joon opted for a surprising tactic, flopping down on me instead.

“Come on, up you get~! How much longer do you plan on having me wake you up, huh?" He laid on the pressure, quite literally, making his presence overwhelmingly felt.

I grimaced and mumbled through the discomfort, “…Ugh, this could easily lead to a couple of broken ribs."

“Oh, stop exaggerating."

“Off, dude. Off." For once, Yoo-Joon had managed to rouse me at the first attempt.

Today marked the third shoot for Graduating. I sluggishly peeled myself off the bed and went into the living room. The rest of the members were already up, buzzing with energy for our upcoming schedule.

“Can’t believe the students are the last ones up."

“Should I whip up some coffee for you, hyung?" Yoon-Chan offered, but I waved him off with a stretch, ready to face another day of shooting.

It was a typical morning on the set of Graduating, yet today was an exciting day as it was the sports day at Memory High. Joo-Han, now in his school uniform, clasped Yoo-Joon\'s and my hands. His voice was laced with a stern warning. “Injuries are off-limits, got it? Any mishap before our comeback would spell disaster. Be careful, no matter what."

“Mhm."

“Understood. But you know, it looks like we are in for the relay race~" Yoo-Joon teased, earning a sharp look from Joo-Han that could only be described as lethal.

“Let\'s roll out." Following our manager\'s lead, we bid a temporary farewell to the rest of the group and headed to the school.

***

“Made it, huh?"

“You guys are cutting it close."

“Hey there."

It had been a week since our last shoot, yet the warm welcome from Hee-Su, Joon-Hwan, and Daniele felt as though we\'d never been apart.

“Hey, good to see you."

“Guys, it\'s been a while… Man, I\'m wiped out."

However, as soon as Yoo-Joon and I sat, we simultaneously slumped onto the desk as if choreographed, succumbing to exhaustion. Our eyelids felt like they were made of lead.

As we both hit the desk, Hee-Su and Joon-Hwan rushed over, their concern palpable. “What\'s up with you two? Really that tired?"

“You both look drained. And there\'s a sports day planned today, right?"

The urgency for screen time lingered in my thoughts. This was our livelihood, our job. Fighting against the creeping drowsiness and the weight of expectations, our minds felt clouded at best. Yoo-Joon and I were barely clinging on.

However, we managed to muster the energy to sit upright somehow, albeit resembling zombies.

“No worries, we\'ve got the relay race covered. Want a trip to the canteen?"

“Is there coffee milk? I\'m in desperate need of caffeine."

“I don’t know. Coffee… coffee… Joo-Han hyung loves it, so let’s get it now for him.”

“No, he only drinks dark coffee. Ugh, I am exhausted. Did Joo-Han text or call you? Ah, what am I saying? The coffee at the canteen must be too sweet for him. He doesn’t drink latte.”

In an effort to contribute to the screen time, we started to babble nonsensically.